What DVC Members Love about the Grand Floridian
Victorian elegance meets ideal logistics at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, a monorail resort at Walt Disney World. This hotel has earned a reputation as the most luxurious place to stay for Disney fans. Here are several reasons why Disney Vacation Club members love owning here, especially since the 2022 expansion.
Room Features
While staying at the Grand Floridian, you’re surrounded by opulence and functionality. This property marries convenience and comfort with old-world extravagance.
You’ll find two different kinds of room features here. The explanation involves that recent expansion. As of 2022, the Grand Floridian hosts two distinct DVC buildings.
The décor in each building varies. In the classic rooms called Deluxe Studios, Disney has utilized neutral but stately colors to foster an upscale ambiance.
These studios cover 347 square feet of space, which places them squarely in the middle by DVC studio room size standards. However, you’ll notice the Grand Floridian difference in the furniture, the tiles, and the countertops. High-end appointments fill the room with elegance.
Deluxe Studios have standard DVC kitchenette features like a coffee maker and mini fridge. The hotel rooms include a queen bed and a murphy bed.
You’ll also find a nifty trick in the bathroom mirror. A hidden television will show programming in your mirror while you get dressed. It comes with a remote control, so you don’t need to touch the mirror to watch the television.
At the newer building, the former Big Pine Key, you’ll stay at Resort Studios instead. Disney has decorated the rooms with a light Mary Poppins theme. It’s subtle enough to fly over most people’s heads, but practically perfect fans will notice most of the touches.
These rooms are substantially larger at 447 square feet. Both types of studios technically sleep five, but you’ll have nearly 30 percent more space in the Resort Studios.
Also, you’ll discover two queen beds in these rooms plus a foldout sofa. So, the bedding here is most spacious at the cost of less walking room overall.
All the DVC rooms include plates, utensils, and mugs. So you can conveniently eat and drink in your hotel room, although the studios lack cooking appliances.
For those, you must stay in the one- or two-bedroom villas. They range from 844 to 1,232 square feet. You’ll also gain a washer/dryer in these villas, something you’ll appreciate during your visit.
Dining
You won’t find a better place to dine at Walt Disney World or any other theme park resort. I recently named the best DVC resorts for foodies, and while I didn’t rank my selections, the Grand Floridian would have won.
You’ll find a delightful Quick Service restaurant called Gasparilla Grill near the lobby. It resides beside a ship dock and serves as an action spot for people-watching. The cuisine is better than most Quick Service eateries, and some of the desserts are Insta-worthy in their design.
Just past the hotel lobby, you’ll find Grand Floridian Café, one of the hidden gems of Walt Disney World dining. This place offers brunch items that will dazzle your palate, and its Buttermilk-fried Chicken and Waffle will leave you smiling all day.
Another restaurant resides in the same section as Grand Floridian Café. It’s 1900 Park Fare, which hosts character meals for breakfast and dinner. The Supercalifragilistic Breakfast Buffet stars Mary Poppins at breakfast, while Cinderella and her evil step-family host the dinner.
You’ll find the legendary Strawberry Soup at both meals. However, 1900 Park Fare hasn’t reopened since the pandemic. Its fate remains undetermined.
Three other exquisite restaurants are available at the Grand Floridian. Citricos has developed a reputation as one of the best overall restaurants in Orlando. Its seafood dishes are particularly popular.
Meanwhile, Narcoossee’s is currently undergoing refurbishment. DVC fans know this is an excellent spot to dine while watching the fireworks, though.
Finally, you’ll find the crown jewel of Disney dining at the Grand Floridian. TripAdvisor has ranked Victoria & Albert’s as the second-best restaurant in the United States! You owe it to yourself to eat here sometime.
Resort Amenities
As Disney’s most luxurious resort, the Grand Floridian offers countless amenities. Probably the most recognizable of them comes from the hotel’s name.
Senses Spa offers a wide variety of therapeutic treatments and massages. So whether you need a full body treatment or manicure, you’ll relish a spa day here.
Guests who want to swim or bathe by the pool will love both options. The Beach Pool is massive, holding 111,261 gallons of water at its location near the hotel’s beachfront area. You can simultaneously swim and watch the boats on the lake.
The Courtyard Pool is a zero-entry quiet pool with plenty of fountains that splash water everywhere. Kids love this place, and they’ll also adore the Mad Hatter play area. A giant hat continuously fills with water. After a few minutes, the overfull hat tips over, dousing the laughing children standing below.
You’ll also find plenty of excellent shops at the hotel. M. Mouse Mercantile is the general store here, and it’s legitimately one of the best at Walt Disney World.
Fashion-forward guests will treasure Curiouser Clothiers, the only apparel store of its kind on the resort monorail line. Meanwhile, Basin White’s products will fill your kitchen cabinets with must-have Disney accessories.
Resort Activities
Two staples of Disney resorts are available at the Grand Floridian. First, guests can roast marshmallows by the campfire at night. They can also watch Movies under the Stars several times per month.
For parents, the most enjoyable activity is Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where cast members perform glow-ups on kids. Parents’ pictures of their kids during these boutique visits are keepsake treasures that will last a lifetime.
Another activity that’s also an amenity is the walking path from the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom. For years, hotel guests campaigned for such a route, and Disney finally obliged in 2020. This path allows most guests to reach the park entrance in roughly 15 minutes.
Finally, Grand Floridian guests can rent pontoon boats. These are ideal for a group to go fishing in the surrounding lake.
Access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.
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